


syringa vulgaris

by avapacifica



Series: October Writing Challenge 2019 [10]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Daenerys Targaryen Is Not a Mad Queen, Death, F/F, Flowers, Goodbyes, Grief/Mourning, Queen Daenerys, Queen Sansa, Winterfell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-07 22:17:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20983289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avapacifica/pseuds/avapacifica
Summary: the dragon queen mourns her beloved the only way she knows how





	syringa vulgaris

**Author's Note:**

> Day 10: Basement  
Does a crypt really count as a basement? Idk and I don't really care either whoops. Enjoy this angst that I expanded upon a lot more than I originially planned.

When Queen Sansa dies, word spreads like dragon fire. When Queen Daenerys leaves, rumors spread even quicker. Despite the fact that no one during the time of Aerys II is still alive, stories still spread that the dragon queen has gone mad like her father. Her advisors are there to tell everyone that’s simply not true, she’s just in mourning. But they aren’t there to reassure those all the way from the Water Gardens to the Iron Islands, who claimed to have seen her riding Drogon right over their waters. 

Though she hasn’t done anything yet, the entirety of Westeros seems to be on edge, just waiting for the spark to ignite. There’s no one to take revenge on, Sansa had died of a sickness that had been plaguing her for years. The only ones left to hurt were the citizens themselves, and with no evil for Daenerys to take her anger out on, they truly believe it will be them next. 

Sightings continue all across the kingdoms, but it’s hard to say whos are credible. All that is known for sure is that Daenerys left the day her wife died on Drogon’s back, and she hasn’t been sighted by a crowd of more than 10 since. And if you were to really ask one of her advisors if she was mourning, they really wouldn’t know. Truth be told, she spoke to no one of where she was going. They have enough on their plates managing King’s Landing without a figure head. 

All of this makes it the most confusing when the infamously famous for disliking the cold Queen, lands in none other than Westeros. She won’t lie, she wasn’t expecting a warm reaction from the northerners, but to hear screams when she dismounts? That hurts. It just goes to show that the North will never accept a Targaryen anymore, no matter how much she tries to appeal to them. It’s almost ironic to think about what life would be like if they know who their warden truly is.

Speaking of Jon, he’s the first one to greet her at the gates. He’s the only one though, if Dany wasn’t already so sad, she’d be afraid of rebellion. The lack of people she’s seen so far has been astounding. She feels so out of touch with her subjects, she honestly can’t tell if they’re scared or angry.

“Dany!” His face is smiling, but his tone suggests another mood. The same aura of depression that has been surrounding her for the past few weeks seems to be around him as well. She wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but it’s comforting to know she isn't alone. “How long has it been?” He opens his arms, and Daenerys graciously accepts the hug. She’s been touch starved without Sansa, and Drogon isn't exactly cuddly.

“Too long, that’s for sure.” She feels alive again, and it’s all because of the warmth Jon is providing. She feels bad about not giving him some of her own. She’d blame it on losing her love, but Jon just lost a sister and he’s just as welcoming. “Did they bring her body down yet?” Jon nods, and gestures a way into the castle, leading her in the direction of where Sansa is buried.

“I’m sorry, I wish you could’ve been there. We just weren’t sure where you were, when you'd be back.” Dany waves it away.

“It’s alright.” Funerals are a place to say goodbye. That’s probably why Jon thought she would’ve wanted to be there. But Daenerys had plenty of chances to say goodbye, and though she only took one of them, it was at the very end. Plus, she doesn’t think she could handle looking at Sansa’s lifeless body. It’s not like she hasn’t seen someone dead before, far too many people in fact. But her wife would be much too hard, as she had been so lively before. Seeing her like that, Daenerys might just want to join her.

The corridors twist and turn, Dany pays close attention to the directions. She wants to be able to come back and know her way around. Eventually they get to a staircase, and as they descend the queen feels herself getting colder and colder. The springs that warm the castle usually, don’t quite seem to reach this far below. Daenerys almost loses her balance when she reaches the last step. She’s not sure she’s ready for this, but then Jon puts his hand on her shoulder, and she’s reassured just enough to enter.

The crypts consist of a long corridor, barely lit. She hopes it’s dim enough so that Jon doesn’t see her tears, but when she looks over to him there’s some in his eyes as well. They seem to be stuck at the bottom of the stairs, neither of them wanting to take that first step forward. Jon has led her this far, she does him the courtesy of going ahead. He follows suit.

She goes slowly, examining each tomb. Daenerys knows Jon will stop her when they reach Sansa’s, but she just finds it so amazing that each person in front of her came together, all to create the most sensational woman she’s ever seen. And now she’s gone. She gets lost in her thoughts, only broken from them when she gets a hand on her shoulder. They're there.

A statue stands, Daenery's eyes wander from the bottom where her line of sight had been, up to the face. The stone is carved exactly like Sansa, the height is completely right as well. She doesn’t know how the carver could’ve done it so accurately, and so quickly too. She reaches up, touching the cheek. She’s almost disappointed when the rock is cold. 

“Your Grace,” Jon says behind her, she turns to see him bowing. Daenerys gives him a smile, nodding her head. He turns, and though he wasn’t causing her any stress, she can breath a sigh of relief when she's finally alone with Sansa. 

The dragon queen falls to her knees, trying to hold the sobs in, just for now. She pulls a bundle of flowers out her jacket, lilacs, Sansa’s favorite. They were already starting to dry, so as gently as she can, Daenerys places them on top of the tomb. The color seems completely out of place down here, but that’s how Sansa was; color in her dull world.

“These are for you,” Daenerys sniffles. She’s had time to prepare for this, the words have flown through her head everyday since she left King’s Landing. But now that’s she’s here, lots of talking seem wrong. Not in the way the color had, it’s a suffocating speech that she can’t bring herself to tell to her unmoving corpse of a wife. “You wouldn’t believe how far I flew to find these. I wanted to pick some myself, but most of them had already been taken in your honor.” She laughs, but the tears are audible within it. Seeing everyone paying tribute to someone she knew deserved every petal was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen, and she's seen the world.

“I’m glad they all saw you how I did.” Daenerys finds the strength to bring herself up, and stretches to kiss the cold statue’s cheek. “I wish you were here to see it.”

For the rest of the summer years, which seem to last just a bit longer than usual, lilacs decorate the doors of almost every home in Westeros. Children tell stories of Queen Sansa smiling down upon any household that did so. But Daenerys knows better, her love is smiling down on all of them, she’s never been more sure of something her entire life.

**Author's Note:**

> drop a comment, they make my day!


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